“The Histories (Book I)” (Chap. 72)

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Polybius (Greek Historian)

2013

"The Histories (Book I)" (Chap. 72) by Polybius (Greek Historian)

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Polybius (Greek Historian)

“The Histories (Book I)” (Chap. 72) Annotated

1 They had chiefly themselves to thank for all these grievous mischances. During the former war they had thought themselves reasonably justified in making their government of the Libyans very harsh.

2 They had exacted from the peasantry, without exception, half of their crops, and had doubled the taxation of the townsmen without allowing exemption from any tax or even a partial abatement to the poor.

3 They had applauded and honoured not those governors who treated the people with gentleness and humanity, but those who procured for Carthage the largest amount of supplies and stores and used the country people most harshly — Hanno for example.

4 The consequence was that the male population required no incitement to revolt — a mere messenger was sufficient —

5 while the women, who had constantly witnessed the arrest of their husbands and fathers for non-payment of taxes, solemnly themselves by oath in each city to conceal none of their belongings, and stripping themselves of their jewels contributed them ungrudgingly to the war fund.

6 Mathos and Spendius were thus so well off that not only could they pay the soldiers their arrears, as they had promised in inciting them to mutiny, but found themselves furnished with ample means for a protracted war.

7 This teaches us that it is the right policy not only to look to the present, but to look forward still more attentively to the future.

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